AZ's COPD inhaler goes green

AstraZeneca has brought the first inhaled respiratory medicine using near-zero global warming potential (GWP) to Australia, building on the company's momentum toward its environmental goals.

The TGA has approved the UK pharma giant’s chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inhaler Breztri Aerosphere 160/7.2/5 with a Next Generation Propellant, offering 99 per cent reduction in GWP compared to the existing propellant.

Global warming potential is a measure of how much gas traps heat in the atmosphere over a 100-year time horizon, relative to carbon dioxide (CO2) with CO2 having a GWP of 1.